With several aspirants from various political parties showing interest in contesting the forthcoming Ponda constituency by-election, the seat — rendered vacant following the demise of former Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik — is expected to witness a fierce multi-cornered battle rather than an unopposed contest.
Locals believe that, given the number of interested candidates, the by-election will mirror the tough triangular fight seen during the 2022 Assembly polls. However, the final picture will emerge only once the Election Commission announces the poll schedule and political parties declare their candidates.
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Following the demise of the veteran Bahujan leader, there is strong public sympathy for his son, Ritesh Naik, to continue his father’s legacy. Ritesh, a BJP councillor in the Ponda Municipal Council, along with his late father and brother Roy, had joined the BJP in 2022 after quitting the Congress. It remains to be seen whether the BJP nominates Ritesh Naik or senior party worker Vishwanath Dalvi as its candidate.
The Gomantak Bhandari Samaj, which has a large population in Ponda, has openly expressed support for Ritesh and even demanded that he be elected unopposed. However, political observers question whether other parties will honour the Samaj’s appeal.
Despite the sympathy wave, a smooth walkover for Ritesh Naik appears unlikely if major parties field their own candidates. MGP leader and Power Minister Sudin Dhavlikar has indicated support for Ritesh as an alliance candidate, though the BJP is yet to take a final decision. Meanwhile, MGP worker Dr Ketan Bhatikar has already declared his intention to contest as an Independent, stating that he “never stopped working for the constituency” even after his defeat in 2022.
Senior BJP worker Vishwanath Dalvi has also expressed hope that the party will consider his candidature in recognition of his long-standing service. On the Congress front, South Goa MP Captain Viriato Fernandes has confirmed that Rajesh Verenkar is the interested Congress candidate, though the final call will be taken by the party leadership.
In the 2022 Assembly election, Ponda witnessed a three-way battle among the BJP, Congress, and MGP. Ravi Naik (BJP) narrowly won the seat with 7,514 votes (29.12%), defeating MGP’s Dr Ketan Bhatikar, who secured 7,437 votes (28.82%), by a margin of just 77 votes. Congress candidate Rajesh Verenkar polled 6,838 votes (26.51%).
Other contestants included Revolutionary Goans Party candidate Sanish Tilve (1,770 votes), Aam Aadmi Party’s Adv Surel Tilve (620 votes), and Independent candidates Sandeep Khandeparkar (1,237 votes) and Naresh Padwalkar (92 votes).
